Over 100,000 Cumulative COVID-19 Cases Just Three Months After Surpassing 50,000

Citizens are lining up to get tested at a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza on the 23rd./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea has surpassed 100,000.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 25th at midnight that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 430 from the previous day, reaching 100,276.

It has been 430 days since the first domestic case was confirmed on January 20 last year for the cumulative cases to exceed 100,000. Following the third wave of the pandemic last year, the cumulative cases surpassed 50,000 on December 21 with 50,579 cases after 336 days, and then broke through 100,000 after 94 days.

The rapid increase in cumulative cases appears to be due to the third wave having a stronger ripple effect compared to the first and second waves. Looking at the monthly confirmed cases, February and March last year, when the first wave occurred, recorded 2,920 and 6,855 cases respectively. During the second wave in August and September, monthly confirmed cases were 5,641 and 3,855, not exceeding 10,000 cases per month.

In contrast, December last year, when the third wave peaked, saw a monthly total of 26,529 confirmed cases. This year, January recorded 17,471 cases and February 11,470 cases, both exceeding 10,000 monthly cases. Recently, daily new cases have consistently been in the 300 to 400 range, and as of the 25th of this month, 10,607 cases have already been confirmed.

Kang Do-tae, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures meeting that "The unstable quarantine situation continues with domestic new confirmed cases fluctuating between 300 and 400 for over six weeks," urging strict compliance with quarantine rules and active participation in vaccination. The government will announce the adjustment plan for social distancing measures, effective until the 11th of next month, on the 26th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.